Jia ting jian shi

Brief History of a Family
After an incident at their high school, the outgoing Wei, only son of a well-off Chinese family, and Shuo, his quiet but perceptive classmate, become closer. A mysterious energy seems to connect the two, drawing them into each other’s lives. Wei soon introduces his new friend to his father, a cell biologist, and his mother, a former flight attendant. Learning that Shuo comes from a troubled background, Wei’s parents encourage this boy with an enigmatic charm to spend more time in their home. As Shuo integrates himself more and more into the family, he gradually discovers that their comfortable existence is shadowed by unspoken secrets, unmet expectations and suppressed emotions. Then a tragic event causes old wounds and current fears to come to light.
by Lin Jianjie
with Zu Feng, Guo Keyu, Sun Xilun, Lin Muran
People’s Republic of China / France / Denmark / Qatar 2024 Mandarin 99’ Colour European premiere | Debut film

With

  • Zu Feng (Wei’s Father)
  • Guo Keyu (Wei’s Mother)
  • Sun Xilun (Yan Shuo)
  • Lin Muran (Tu Wei)

Crew

Director Lin Jianjie
Screenplay Lin Jianjie
Cinematography Zhang Jiahao
Editing Per K. Kirkegaard
Music Toke Brorson Odin
Sound Design Margot Testemale, Jacques Pedersen, Fanny Weinzaepflen
Sound Li Ran
Production Design Xu Yao
Producers Lou Ying, Zheng Yue, Wang Yiwen
Co-Production Films du Milieu Paris
Tambo Film Kopenhagen

Produced by

First Light Films

Lin Jianjie

After graduating with a BA in bioinformatics, Lin Janjie turned to filmmaking and studied at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. His short films A Visit (2015) and Gu (2017) screened successfully at international film festivals. Brief History of a Family is his debut feature film.

Filmography

2015 A Visit; short film 2017 Gu; short film 2024 Jia ting jian shi (Brief History of a Family)

Bio- & filmography as of Berlinale 2024